Sorrow Brings Friendship
by FinalXFantasy91
Summary: Tsuna always dread the day that his Grandfather, Timoteo, would no longer be amongst the living. So, when that dreadful news broke the peaceful day in Namimori High's A-3 class; the lives of the classmates as well as Tsuna and company would change drastically.
1. Chapter 1

It's not everyday Tsuna gets a peaceful day like today. No fighting, no surprise electrical currents, no bombs blowing up in people's faces, or tonfas... Or swinging swords. And especially twin pineapples egging everyone to a fight (oh Chrome what did Mukuro teach you).

Tsuna and his friends made it past the troublesome fiasco with Kawahira and the Arcobaleno's at the end of their first year in High School. Since then, they lived with no other problems. Namimori High felt just like Namimori Middle, with the slight difference of students in attendance there.

Since Enma and his Famiglia had left to return to their island, Chrome become a permanent fixture in the classroom with them. Haru would have entered their school as well if it wasn't for her parents barring her choice of continuing or leaving Hayato who she's been dating for the past year and a half. Hana forced herself into his group after Ryohei asked her out. Mukuro would have entered the school as well if it wasn't for Tsuna's decision to keep him as far away from Kyouya and future threat of paperwork (much to his disappointment). Shouichi and Spanner entered their school increasing the interest of engineering/technology clubs.

At home, Nana was told of the truth of both Tsuna's future position as well as Iemitsu's. To say that the latter got a beating of a lifetime when she found out is an underestimate. Not to mention for Iemitsu to experience the whole new side of Nana. What happened next is Fuuta, I-Pin and Lambo being adopted into the Sawada family permanently.

As for the Arcobaleno's, like Verde had predicted, they started growing at sporadic times. When Tsuna finally met the man who had helped him during the Arcobaleno's melee battle, he wanted to shriek in terror; Realizing the person who he admired at that time, is also the same person who tortured him daily... Oh god, did he feel embarrassed.

Then, came the time that he had to explain what will be happening to the future with the family of his Guardians. To find that most, if not all, had a connection to the mafia didn't seem to surprise him that much; after all, they _are_ the decedents of the Vongola Primo generation (Shamal took their DNA sample to compare with what Talbot had of them. They still wonder how old that guy really is, and if he is human at all).

Despite that, everything else returned to the chaotic mornings of training, explosions and such with his friends. Tsuna and his friends did start going to Italy more often, during breaks in order to learn what they will receive when they graduate; meetings, paperwork, etiquette and the likes.

Also, he got to spend more time with his Grandpa. Unlike when he was little, he could make conversations with the elder man. He had many interesting stories to tell. Not only that, he learned a lot of things from him (since he accepted the role of Vongola Don. There is no way he could run from it after all he has already done). Tsuna truly felt like Timoteo is his true grandfather, despite their distant blood relation.

But with every time Tsuna and his friends went to Italy, the more they realize Timoteo looked more warn. Xanxas showed up even more as time passed; seen talking to his father without his chaotic Guardians around equaled the feared Varia leader was also worried. And it didn't help anybody any the last time he had seen the Nono boss: bedridden most of the time, no longer able to walk outside in leisure without someone wheeling him around in a wheelchair.

Tsuna felt uneasy when he left the elder man, seeing his kind smile and waving him goodbye from the airport. And that feeling has been increasing as of late, allowing none of his attention to hold onto his current lesson.

His intuition flared, his head snapping to the front door as it slid open sharply, interrupting the class. Everyone stared at the man, dressed in all black panting at the entrance to catch his breath. Only a handful stood up in alarm, with Tsuna sitting there eyes wide in recognition along with the terrible feeling of there being bad news. Nezu, the teacher for the afternoon class, paid them no attention; only glaring at the man in distaste.

"Excuse me sir, we are in the middle of class!"

The man in black recovered didn't even seem to register what the teacher had said, bypassing him and a good portion of the students until he was next to Tsuna, not pausing a second to bend down and whisper into his ear. All the curious students couldn't help to watch, Nezu fuming at being ignored. However, what happened next made him not have the heart to stop whatever was transacting.

With ever passing seconds the man spoke into the brunettes ear, the more they noticed he looked like on the verge of shattering; noticing the white knuckled fist he had formed throughout the whole time.

When the man in black had finished he stepped back and knelt to the ground on one knee, like a knight would do for respecting his king surprising the students. "Please understand that this is Nono's last wish."

Silence followed. None could see the face the brunette as his bangs shadowed his expression from view. It wasn't until a minute later of taking in a shaky breath, that his faced solemnly at man, looking like he's holding back tears. "I understand, please get everything and everyone ready to leave. Make sure the security is also tighter than usual, Ermanno."

The man stood, went to the front, turned to give a deep bow to respect the present Guardians and left just as quickly while speaking rapidly in Italian into his cell phone.

It wasn't until the door slipped shut that tears started to stream off of Tsuna's face. His friends immediately went to him to comfort him.

The rest of the class could only just look on at the teen who they once bullied. Not once they had seen him cry, they realize. Tsuna only seemed timid with their jeers or a goofy grin whenever with his friends. They didn't know him at all besides the fact that he suddenly had a majority of the school idols as friends. So to see him silently cry there while his friends surrounding him made them wonder what has happened.

Nezu was also in shock as he watched his worst student suddenly drowning in his tears. Truthfully, he always could see himself in the boy as one that failed in everything. But unlike Tsuna, he never had friends to confine with or smiled everyday regardless of his failures. Because of his way of getting through the day, he unconsciously discriminated people being carefree to not know any hardships. To see that someone like that made him boil in jealousy at the luck that person has, while he went through blood, sweat and tears.

Again, the door slid open revealing the demon prefect of Namimori along with the boxing captain, a girl from Midori High, and an unknown man with blue hair styled up like a pineapple wearing the Kokuyo High's uniform. Their entrance snapped Tsuna out as he rubbed the tears away. Getting up with his gathered up belongings, as well with his friends, they went to the front to face the class.

"I am sorry for the sudden notification everyone. Me and my friends will be transferring out of Namimori from today onwards."

Outrageous protesting quickly followed, the image of the crying Tsuna swept to the back of their minds.

"What do you mean _'me and my friends'_?!"

"Why is Kyoko, Hana, Chrome, Hayato, and Takeshi leaving with you Dame-Tsuna?!"

"Without them I have no other reason to continue being here!"

"Without Yamamoto-sempai, we won't be able to win any tournaments!"

"Nothing revolves just around you!"

"Spanner and Shouichi haven't showed us their robots yet!"

And such exclamation continued. It wasn't until Nezu, disturbed by the sudden turn of events, shouted for them to be quite to ask. "What reason do you all have to leave the school this suddenly?"

"Teme, didn't you see that something serious has happened!" Hayato growled about ready to bomb everyone if it wasn't for Haru holding him back. Takashi, already pulling out his shinai was stopped by Kyoko, while Hana wrapped her arm around Ryohei's. Kyouya would have bitten all of them to death, while Mukuro seemed ready to make some nightmarish illusions if Chrome wasn't standing besides them, holding their arms.

Tsuna gave a weak smile at them before it fell as he answered. "Sorry, Nezu-sensei. It's a family emergency."

"From what I saw, it is true for you. But for the others-"

"It's fine Nezu-sensei," the principle cut in, appeared at the doorway with a tall man wearing a fedora. "We just received their paperwork and are allowed to leave."

"A-ah... if Kocho knows then..."

The principal nodded and turned towards Tsuna and company to give a bow. "Sawada-sama. Please tell your Grandfather's friends that I am sorry I could not being there."

"I will, Azuki-Kocho. They will appreciate your thoughts," Tsuna accepted with a small smile. "I apologize for the chaos of my time here, as well as the sudden leave."

Azuki shook his head signing it wasn't any big deal. It was then that the man in fedora stepped up to speak. "Time to go Tsuna. We have a flight to catch." Tuna could hear the hint of worry for him. Usually, that would have made his day in accomplishing something that rare, but with what was going on, he didn't have the heart to be feel that joy at the moment.

With a short nod, the whole strange bunch of friends, as well as a good portion of the idol population (surprisingly along with the demon prefect, thank the gods), left.

...

The remaining class of A-3 stared before someone noticed the arrival of several limos at the school yard baring the Vongola crest. They all clamored over to see, watching as a group of men came out lining the entryway of the school on watch. Once they see the familiar tuff of brown hair with friends set foot on the yard, they surrounded them till they entered the limos.

The class of A-3 could hear the school coming alive with noise, indicating that someone had noticed that the people following the brunette were the idols. Volume of noise increased in their hallways, telling them that some of the students had come out of their classroom in order to get info on what was going on.

"QUIET!" Azuki-Kocho yelled out, getting the attention of everyone. "All students that do not belong to class A-3 must return to class. Please leave." Students arriving started to protest but some of the teacher who arrived at the scene of the overcrowded hallways herded the curios students back to their classrooms, allowing the principle to shut the door.

"Class A-3, please do not say anything what you have heard transpire in this room to the outside. This is for the uttermost safety of not just your fellow students who have left this school but yourselves as well."

"But why Azuki-kocho?! Why is Dame-Tsuna getting all that special treatment?!" one of the student's exploded saying out similar responses.

"That 'Dame'-Tsuna, as you have been insulting, has gotten news his _only_ Grandfather is lying on his death bed as we speak." The principle glared at the students shutting their mouth of anymore protest and sat down feeling terrible win insulting someone who had lost someone they loved. "As to why. All of you must have seen the crest and as to who they represent. Sawada-sama is the only heir to that company," Their eyes bulged at the sudden revelation. "Under normal circumstances, he and his friends would have continued with us in Namimori High until the end of the year in order to live normally. However, with the way his grandfather's health is heading, the plan has been moved up. It is unfortunate, as I rather enjoyed their energy. Now that it has been explained, you may continue with class."

Once the principle left, the class sat there murmuring to each other, Nezu didn't stop them, too baffled to even continue where he had left off in the lecture. The now smaller class couldn't comprehend on what just happened.

They knew who the Vongola is. The biggest multi-trillion Italian corporation out there that has taken over the markets of all kinds in all parts of the world. You name it, they have it. However, along with their fame, there is the horrible downside to it. There was no way they didn't hear what had happened to the heirs of the past; finding out they had died tragically because of their fame ( _and their infamy, but they didn't know that_ ). Due to that, when the news of the heir was leaked, the Vongola had completely shut down every opening event.

To find out that their classmates had connections to them, let alone the heir...

Now they know that the reason as to why he always seemed to act like an idiot/loser one moment and sometimes act mature the next, only to revert back. For the past few years they had known that something was up when they caught him tripping purposely (seriously, who would act dramatic by falling), but they continued to belittle him when it has all been a mask this whole time.

Not only that, they were throwing accusations at him when his Grandfather is on deaths door and he just found out about it. The way Tsuna cried, burned at their minds.

And right now, they felt miserable.

"Hey guys," one of the girls spoke up. "I have an idea."

...

 **And I will end this part here. I'm really tired but don't want to leave this unpublished until I finished. So, two-shot!**

 **If you don't like, don't bite.**

 **NOTE: this takes place in Tsuna's third year as a high schooler. I don't know the Japanese school system, but I mostly see that there is always three years in high school, so I will just say that Tsuna and his friends are supposed to graduate at the end of their third year.**

 **To clarify, Kyouya... I believe he would continue** ** _being a student_** **even if he took another year in Namimori. Ryohei... well, we know that he doesn't really do studying much to the extreme until later in life (becoming an unofficial doctor for the Vongola). Mukuro... he's just weird like that and have a fetish for the Kokuyo uniform...jk. I just believe that Mukuro had no real education so he's living a lie in their schools.**

 **Now I am too tired to continue. Please look forward for the second part!**


	2. Chapter 2

On Vongola's private plane to Italy, Tsuna anxiously fidgeted in his seat.

He _knew_ it would happen sooner or later. He _knew_ that his Grandfather wouldn't live for much longer. Time stops for no man and death will always follow every living being until the earth implodes. He just wished it wasn't this soon. At least, he wanted a few years into his inheritance, just to know the elder man he couldn't connect with when he was younger a little more.

But to find out that he could possibly leave this world before he got to take on the title of Vongola Don? Tsuna clutched his clasped hand like in prayer, pressing his forehead with tightly closed eyes.

Reborn watched his student, seeing the thoughts being expressed emotionally on his face. Usually he would reprimand the young boss in training, however that would be inconsiderate, especially since Tsuna never grew up as Mafia material like he did.

The hitman wasn't a stranger to death, as he has caused quite a few, and lived like this his whole life. He knew that everything must end at some point. However, he hadn't forgotten that death is still new to his student. Tsuna had never actually _killed_ anyone.

Byakuran did die in the future, but with him being alive in the present it negates any thoughts of having killed him. Daemon wasn't actually _alive_ at the time, so there's no way he's part of the numbering. Also, no one close to the teen had died (other than Yuni, but she's a similar case to Byakuran) as there is no one else that the Sawada family were close to that weren't part of the mafia someway or another; those that are, are still as energetic as they were in their primes.

So the fact that Timoteo, his dear friend (how strange is that, that they were supposed to be practically the same age if Reborn wasn't cursed at the age of 36), is dying and Tsuna only just begun to reconnect with his Grandfather; there is no telling what effect it would have on Tsuna.

Which is the sole reason he decided to come pick him up himself and not that idiot Iemitsu.

Reborn considered himself the de facto father for Tsuna since he had found out that the idiot CEDEF advisor was sending ridiculous postcards ( _'Seriously? A postcard of him in a construction suit in Antartica?'_ ) to his family. Already, he had designated several bullets to that idiot. A good portion of it before he met the Sawada family. And once he started teaching Tsuna, every new one is added for each ridiculous story he heard from Nana _and_ Tsuna. With the rate he's seen every presents, postcard and heard the excuses that idiot sent them, Reborn is not going to run out any bullets until the next year.

[At HQ, said idiot felt a shiver go down his spine.]

The hitman looked over to the Guardians and friends, who have been quiet thru the trip so far (surprisingly). They all had their own expressions of worry for Tsuna; Kyouya's and Mukuro's being the most elusive. Still, everyone is worried for him.

How lucky could Reborn be to have a student who could bring so many different personalities together and still work. He didn't expect it to work that well when he randomly chosen the Guardians. Then again, he never did expected that the candidates he had chosen as true decedents of the Primo Gen. Either fate decided to bring them together or lady luck really loved him when he arrived in Namimori.

When the plane landed, Reborn led the still dazed Tsuna out to the awaiting limo that drove them to Vongola Mansion with the Guardians following in silence.

It wasn't until they reached the front entryway of the mansion that Tsuna came back to life. He ran quickly through the doors, not bothering to respond to the greetings of the butlers and maids and went to the one place he needed to go to. Thru the maze-like hallways Tsuna finally reached his destination.

Not bothering to knock on the double doors, thick and detailedly carved mahogany wood depicting the Vongola insignia; he pushed it open, noting how heavier it was the last time he had opened it.

The desponded atmosphere is the first thing he registered when he saw the inside. His grandfather's guardians (or what is left of Nono's Generation) scattered about in the room with scowling (worried) Xanxus sitting cross armed beside the master bed. But his eyes zeroed to the person on the bed. Timoteo, looking more frail and paler than usual, cracked opened his eyes to him and gave a small smile.

"What have I told you about knocking before opening Tsunayoshi-kun?" the elder reprimanded lightly as Tsuna went to his side, kneeling by the edge of the bed.

"That it's useless. Only do so when it belongs to a lady," Tsuna recited with a small smile.

"I did say that didn't I," Timoteo chuckled lightly.

"Old man, you better say what you want," Xanxus gruff out.

"Ah, yes…" he looked into his surrogate grandchild's tearing eyes with his own saddened ones. The child, who he had seen as just a little boy has grown to the man he will be because of having no other heirs to take up the Vongola burden. Tsuna, who had to face the hardships, pain, and hate of the Mafia when he could have lived a normal life. If he could change it he would, but alas, he cannot change what has been already done. "I am sorry my child that I cannot be there for your inheritance. I had thought I had longer, but it seems that it is not to be. Even with Vongola Blood, it cannot predict everything. Keep that in mind when leading the Famiglia, yes?"

"I understand, Nonno. As Vongola's Decimo, I will bring back what Primo wanted for Vongola and protect our Famiglia we love. Everything I learned from you, I will not forget."

Timoteo nodded at his response, then looked over to the Decimo Guardians. "Protect Decimo, and do not falter from his side. Protect each other like you would do to a family. You are his elements which the Sky cannot exist without."

"Yes, Nono-sama," most replied but all showed their respect with a bow. Again the elder nodded before looking to his friends.

"I am sorry for leaving so soon, everyone. But I enjoyed our times together."

"As did we Timoteo. Don't worry we will take care of the young boss here," Reborn replied with a small reassuring smirk while Timoteo's Guardian's nodded in response with mourn.

He nodded back before looking to his last son. "Xanxus-"

"You don't need to say anything, old man," he cut in before he could say anything else. "I get it now. I know that you only did what you believed was to protect me. Leave the Vongola to the brat and me. We Varia will do everything to protect them."

Everyone blinked at the acknowledgment from the Varia boss. None had expected him to readily pledge to protect the Decimo despite their clash the first time around.

"Good…that is…good," Timoteo took a breath, closing his eyes. His voice coming just above a whisper now. "Then I have left nothing else to regret. _Addio per ora. Fino a quando si vede di nuovo l'un l'altro. La mia Famiglia*."_

That was the last words that Timoteo, Vongola Nono, said to his family before passing on.

….

 ***Goodbye for now. Until we see each other again. My family.**

 **Sorry, I'm not good with goodbye's or death scenes. It feels a bit choppy but that's all I could come up with. Third part will come in as soon as it is made.**

 **Please read and review!**


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